Irish Water managing director John Tierney leaving Leinster House after meeting the environment as there is growing dissent over water charges. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

Ireland is facing mounting anger over controversial moves to introduce water charges, with street protests against the measure likened to the revolt against the poll tax in Britain.

Weeks after the first bills were sent out, the unprecedented water charges, which can cost households more than €500 (£390) a year, have provoked a ferocious response from citizens that is threatening to destabilise the ruling Fine Gael-Labour coalition in Dublin.

Tens of thousands are expected to gather at 80 different locations across the republic Saturday, forcing the coalition to rapidly draw up plans for partial relief from the new charges.

But in Galway city this weekend that concession appears to be too little too late for many people, some of them saying they are prepared to go to prison rather than pay for water.

“It adds to the anger that for nearly a year we were unable to drink our water from the tap because of the cryptosporidium bug in the supply,” said 56-year-old Dette McLoughlin. “So many people in Galway have no confidence in the water supply still and instead prefer to buy bottled water. So it annoys people even more now that the government is asking us to pay for it.”

“I am not going to pay. I am not even getting involved in the argument over the costing of the water charges. Even if it was only a fiver a year it is still wrong on a point of principle. I have never seen so many people out on the streets, people you would never see at any protests over other cuts or charges.”

According to the coalition’s sums the average family of two adults will pay €278 a year for their water, while a household of five will pay €584. The government notes it was one of the last nations in the western world to bring in water charges, and says it needs the imposition to invest in infrastructure, and promote conservation, the latter because of EU directives on water and the environment.

But in the sea port village of Kinvara mother of two Vicky Donnelly describes the charges as “an injustice we are forced to pay”.

“My family, like many others, is one of those you read about in surveys, the ones that are left with little or no income after paying all their bills. We are already up close to the limit, so the addition of water charges will be a huge burden. I don’t know what to cut from the family budget to make the savings needed,” she says.

Donnelly adds that she is ready to take part in mass peaceful civil disobedience against the charges.

The Garda Síochána is investigating claims that 15 Irish Water workers were “imprisoned” for 12 hours by protesters who were objecting to meters being put in along streets in the North Dublin Donaghmede area this week.

In some districts of the Irish capital Garda officers have had to protect water meter installation teams.

Back in Galway, single mother of three Suzanne Daly has already asked her mother to look after her younger children if she is jailed. The 44-year-old says she will take her mum’s car to use as a barrier preventing Irish Water installation teams putting in a meter by her house.

“I will go to jail rather than pay for these water charges. Mum has agreed to look after the 16-year-old lad and my eight-year-old daughter. I have told all the children that they should be prepared to see their mum jailed.

“This is finally the issue when the people of Ireland stopped and said ‘enough is enough’. We accepted austerity cuts, a property tax and new social charges as our government did what the EU and the IMF told them to do. But people are finally resisting. The fighting Irish spirit is back.”

Water wars

•United States. In bankrupt Detroit back in June the city authorities decided to cut off supply to 200,000 homes who had not or could not afford to pay water bills. Since water charges were introduced a decade ago bills have soared by 120%. The UN condemned the cutting off of the water supply to these people as a “violation of the human right to water and other international human rights”.

•Bolivia. The average price of water quadrupled after it was privatised, leading to civil unrest and the eruption of “water wars” in the city of Cochabamba.

•Uruguay. The sell-off of water and subsequent rising prices led in 2004 to the government outlawing the privatisation of this public utility.

•France. The citizens of Paris voted to reject plans to privatise water and took the utility back into public ownership.